ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve spent my life surrounded by the most inspiring book lovers. I have dreamed of someday seeing my
own name on the shelves of the bookstores in which I’ve spent hundreds of hours. But seeing the dream
come true has taken the help of an army of people, to whom I owe enormous thanks.
This book is dedicated to my sister, Anna Woodward, because I could—and did—write pages about
how wonderful she is. Bugso, you’ve always had confidence, whether you’re dancing or singing or
learning or teaching. I believe in myself because you never seem scared to try something new and I’ve
always wanted to be like you.
But this book wouldn’t exist without the constant support of my mom. Thank you for telling me so
many times “You are a writer,” for showing me that creativity is important and teaching me to write,
for insisting that I always keep a journal, and for asking “What happens next?” until I finish my stories.
But mostly, thank you for talking me down off all those ledges and being there to catch me when I
jumped anyway.
Dad, thank you for all the jokes, the puns, and the one-liners. You’ve taught me that work and fun
don’t have to be mutually exclusive, and that fun sometimes takes work. Sorry for all that burned
daylight. Thanks for checking my medical facts, and for loving this book and making me believe in it
too. I swear, someday I will watch The African Queen. And I’ll keep working on that Ferrari.
Thank you both for putting me in rehab, and for loving me enough to not be afraid of letting me hate
you. I am strong because you supported me.
To my agent, Stephen Barbara, who signed me for what was clearly an imperfect book based on the
number of revisions we did: thank you for seeing the good and for helping me fill in what was missing.
Thank for you holding my hand and answering questions I should probably know the answer to after
this long in publishing. Thank you for making my dream come true.
To my editor, the incomparable Daniel Ehrenhaft: thank you for believing that Harley and I had an
important story to share. Thank you for working through the corrupted files and feverish epiphanies
that made this a better book and me a better writer, and for somehow knowing what I was trying to say,
but not quite saying, and making it better. (Could you edit that sentence?) I am lucky to count myself
among the many members of the Dan Ehrenhaft Fan Club.
“Thank you” may not cover what the team at Soho Teen deserves, especially Bronwen Hruska,
Rachel Kowal, Paul Oliver, Steven Tran, Monica White, and Janine Agro. As a publishing veteran, I
know how much work goes into making a book, and I know that it can’t happen without an incredible
team behind it. Thank you for believing in this story, for making it look pretty, for making sure people
know it exists, and for a hundred other things that I didn’t even know were happening.
To my family—especially Patricia Hinn, Della Hinn, Andrew King, Jane Palmer, Maury Palmer,
Robert Palmer, Steven Woodward, and Sara Taylor—thank you for proving that family can be friends.
I’m sure people all over the world think this, but I have the BEST family.
To my mother-in-law, Betty Gold, thank you for believing I would finish this book long before I did.
Your notes were invaluable and your encouragement kept me writing. Thanks also to my father-in-law,